PEAT.

Abstract

Peat is a renewable, natural, organic material of botanical origin and of commercial significance. Peatlands are situated predominately in shallow wetland areas of the Northern Hemisphere, where large deposits developed from the gradual decomposition of plant matter under anaerobic conditions. Peat has widespread use as a plant-growth medium in a variety of horticultural and agricultural applications, where its fibrous structure and porosity promote a unique combination of water-retention and drainage characteristics. Commercial applications include potting soils, lawn and garden soil amendments, and turf maintenance on golf courses. In industry, peat is used primarily as a filtration medium to remove toxic materials from process waste streams, pathogens from sewage effluents, and deleterious materials suspended in municipal storm-drain water. In its dehydrated form, peat is a highly effective absorbent for fuel and oil spills on land and water. The United States remained a significant producer and consumer of peat for horticultural, agricultural, and industrial purposes. A variety of peat types were extracted and processed from 61 identified operations in 17 of the conterminous United States and by several companies in Alaska. The grades of peat included, in order of importance, reed-sedge, sphagnum moss, hypnum moss, and humus. Florida, Michigan, and Minnesota accounted for 78% of U.S. production. The United States imported one-half of its total domestic requirements, principally from Canada, where deposits of high-quality sphagnum moss are extensive. U.S. production and sales of peat increased for the fifth consecutive year (table 1). Imports of sphagnum peat from Canada increased by 5%.